Valentine’s Day: Easier Than You Think

Smells like chocolate. And romance. But mostly chocolate.

Valentine’s Day is steadily approaching and the hopeless romantics are gearing their talents to win over their sweethearts. Candy, flowers. Fluffy teddy bears and velvet heart pillows. You’ve seen them all, maybe given them all.

But have you ever asked what the other person wants?

If your next Valentine is a student at EvCC, maybe you’ll recognize their name.

Stop and Smell the Roses

“Flowers,” Ashlee Hoffman said when asked what her favorite Valentine’s gift was. “I do love lilies. But I don’t want gifts so much as some quality time.”

CNN.com reported that in 2013, the estimated amount of money spent on flowers for Valentine’s Day was $1.9 billion. That’s almost enough to pay off student debt.

But before you run off to buy a bouquet: “The last thing I want is to look at flowers,” Staycee Sether said. Flowers might not be the best idea after all.

Crazy for Chocolate (and You)

Chocolate, though, is always something to consider. But according to smithsonianmag.com, it took centuries after the establishment of Valentine’s before chocolate became a consideration.

A man by the name of Richard Cadbury started the tradition of packaging chocolates in heart-shaped boxes, done up in Cupids and rosebuds, in 1861. After the chocolates were devoured, customers would reuse the boxes because of their beauty.

“I just want candy,” Amy Hamilton, a student at WSU through the EvCC campus said.

Felix An, EvCC student, loves milk chocolate. “I’ve never had a bad Valentine’s gift. They’re all good,” An said.

Dates and Dares

But if he had a choice, An would pick something adventurous. “Anything. Bungee jumping.”

If that’s your type of thing, buyagift.co.uk offers the Lover’s Leap for only £99. Yep, it’s in the United Kingdom.

What does the Lover’s Leap have to do with Valentine’s Day? If you can’t tell by the name, it’s meant to be spent with your significant other. Or, at least a friend.

“If I had a choice for my Valentine’s gift, I’d ask for anything with a movie. Like a gift basket with popcorn, movie cards. Something that can be enjoyed together,” Nathan Senff said.

If you’re looking for something different but not 160-foot-drop-different, follow Hamilton’s lead.

“If I really got to choose, it would be quality time with something really unique,” Hamilton said. “Like a murder-mystery dinner.”

Will You Be My Pen-Pal?

Corsinet.com reported that Valentine’s Day is the second-most popular holiday for cards, rounding to about a billion cards exchanged per year. Christmas takes first place.

For card-lovers, the Student Bookstore is selling Valentine’s Day cards for the first time this quarter.

“We’re expanding the card selection, shipping from Papyrus,” Wes Morrow, an employee of the bookstore said. “There’s going to be a seasonal rack from now on.”

The Best Gift?

If you’ve been paying attention and not just skimming through, you’ll have noticed that people want to spend time with their Valentine.

When was the last time you put away your cellphone to enjoy the company of a friend?

Mobilestatistics.com reported that the average person will spend 3.9 years of their life staring at their phone screen. That’s 90 minutes a day.

Imagine using those 90 minutes to hang out with the people you love.

So whether it’s dining at a restaurant or cozying up on the couch, watching chick-flicks with the gang or creating your own Valentine’s tradition, do it with someone you care about.

Turns out, the best Valentine’s gift is love.

How fitting.